Ostenians
Heartlanders, Avens, Ostenians, Stoigmari, Draug, Riven, Goblins, Hobbes, Orcs Ostenians Humans born in the Holy Kingdom of Ostenia are referred to as Ostenians. They are a romantic, religious people whose culture is increasingly torn between King and Church. Though the monarchical Old and ecclesiastical New Kingdoms of Ostenia present a united front to the other great nations, the truth is that a rising wave of popular discontent, spearheaded by a new generation of ambitious leaders, threatens to undermine the centuries-old balance of power within the Holy Kingdom. They say that you never truly know an Ostenian until you know his politics. They also say that Ostenians are easy to get to know. Blunt, opinionated, and proud, Ostenians – especially abroad – seldom shy away from a debate, but don’t hold grudges for long. The climate at home is changing, though; formerly fearless members of the monarchy and the Church have begun to discourage dissent, and average Ostenians find themselves watching what they say. The question in contemporary Ostenia seems to be less “what do you think?” than “who do you serve?” Background: You Can Run… The particulars of the case are immaterial at this point. All Ostenian player characters know is that the wrong words were spoken to the wrong people – powerful people with no patience for heretics, rabble-rousers, and other such rebels. Running, and running quickly, was the only viable option, and the train to Nexus was scheduled to leave sooner than anything else. Ostenian PCs will arrive in Nexus with their fiery younger brother (that is to say, the fugitive) and far more sensible sister with little more than the clothes on their back and whatever valuables they could scrounge up before the police arrived. Will they be able to lay low and start new lives in Nexus, or will the stubborn, indomitable Ostenian spirit get them in trouble with the authorities in their new home? A threatening visit from a fierce investigator will force the issue, bringing the larger conflict within the Kingdom right to their doorstep. Favored Classes Classes#Warder Warder The slow expansion of the Old Kingdom was paid for with the blood of Ostenian infantry. Since mount creatures have been extinct on the Mechanism for several centuries, foot soldiers that served the Ancien Royaume on long campaigns developed techniques for increasing strength and endurance far beyond normal limits. These walking knights, the knights marchant, became the Old Kingdom’s first Warders. They lead the Ostenian Royal Guard even now. Classes#Channeler Channeler While the Old Kingdom grew steadily, the most zealous followers of the Liber Explicatum believed that Ostenia need not limit itself to expansion by simple conquest. A militant branch of the Ostenian Church, eager to reoccupy the holy city of Patria, organized groups of firebrand Channelers to visit the fury of the Mechanism on the Yusunan garrison there. Suffice it to say that the field test was successful, and the Church continued to use all-Channeler forces to expand its holdings at a pace the feudal Old Kingdom couldn’t match. The Ostenian Channelers of the New Epoch continue to prove their worth in battle across the Mechanism. Statistics: Luck = 5 Category:Races